- The Dispatch published dueling editorials in the wake of Fordham’s new report evaluating the EdChoice Scholarship Program. Well, I say “dueling” but that would imply that the two commentators were actually talking about the same thing. Our own Chad Aldis discusses the report and its findings in his piece. (Columbus Dispatch, 7/14/16) Teachers union president Melissa Cropper’s piece is more “free form”, incorporating commentary on the apparently widely-held belief that teachers are lazy and how she thinks HB 70 (the “Youngstown Plan”) should be repealed into her brief analysis of the EdChoice report. Nope. Me neither. (Columbus Dispatch, 7/14/16)
- We reported a while back that the city and the school district in Cincinnati worked together to avoid placing two separate levies funding pre-K expansions on the ballot simultaneously. A similar situation has arisen in Dayton but is not yet being handled collaboratively. I’m sure the Gem City will get there eventually, but it may take a little time if this report is to be believed. Step one: have coffee together. (Dayton Daily News, 7/13/16)
- The theme of this week’s meeting of the Dropout Recovery and Prevention Committee seems to be time. How much time should kids be given to succeed in these so-called “last-chance” schools? And how much time should the committee be given to come up with their recommendations? The answer to both questions appears to be “more”. (Gongwer Ohio, 7/13/16)
- As of this writing, the dust up over auditing of attendance records at the state’s largest online school is not over. Editors in Columbus opined forcefully today; not only about the general public-ness of public records but also about what specifically should happen to the school when the records are eventually handed over and they show what said editors think they will (upon which they are in no doubt). (Columbus Dispatch, 7/15/16) For more detail on what they’re on about, check out earlier stories this week from The Dispatch (Columbus Dispatch, 7/13/16) and from the Plain Dealer. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 7/14/16)
- A successful Lorain County businessman, during the rededication of the local Boys & Girls Club in his name, pledged to pay the full tuition of 10 club members to and through the local community college. Personally I think he should have made them do better than a C to earn the money, but I’m not a successful Lorain County businessman so what do I know? (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 7/12/16)
